Into the Wild by John Krakauer Important Quotes

This list of important quotations from “Into the Wild” by John Krakauer will help you work with the essay topics and thesis statements on our paper topics on Into the Wild page by allowing you to support your claims. All of the important quotes from “Into the Wild” listed here correspond, at least in some way, to the paper topics we created on Into the Wild and by themselves can give you great ideas for an essay by offering quotes about other themes, symbols, imagery, and motifs than those already mentioned.

“McCandless was thrilled to be on his way north, and he was relieved as well—relieved that he had again evaded the impending threat of human intimacy, of friendship, and all the messy emotional baggage that comes with it.”

This quote illustrates McCandless’s contempt for anything emotional and his wish to isolate himself from family and friends, whose closeness interferes with his wish for separation. He describes any form of intimacy as “messy,” escaping before anything is expected of him. His cold, sterile attitude foreshadows the circumstances to come when he is isolated in the wilderness. Be careful what you wish for . . .

“McCandless went into the wilderness not primarily to ponder nature or the world at large but, rather, to explore the inner country of his own soul.”

This passage pinpoints McCandless’s wish to find himself. Though it may seem that his intentions in going into the wilderness are naturalistic, they are actually more spiritual—and selfish, to some extent. He seeks verification of self, using nature to validate his intentions. He is confused and longing for truth.

“It is easy, when you are young, to believe that what you desire is no less than what you deserve, to assume that if you want something badly enough, it is your God-given right to have it.”

As Krakauer says, young people often mistake passion for insight, acting out of obscure logic. McCandless does this when he decides to climb the Devil’s Thumb, thinking it would somehow fix what was wrong with his life. This didn’t happen, of course. He was the sum of his experiences, and there’s no escaping that.

“It is hardly unusual for a young man to be drawn to a pursuit considered reckless by his elders; engaging in risky behavior is a rite of passage in our culture no less than in most others. Danger has always held a certain allure.”

This passage illustrates Krakauer’s ambivalence toward McCandless. On the one hand, he knows McCandless was foolhardy in what he attempted, but, on the other hand, he makes the time-honored excuse that “boys will be boys.” The passage also hints that, had McCandless lived to tell his tale, he might actually have been admired for his bravery and courage by a society that values risk-taking.

“As she studies the pictures, she breaks down from time to time, weeping as only a mother who has outlived a child can weep, betraying a sense of loss so huge and irreparable that the mind balks at taking its measure. Such bereavement, witnessed at close range, makes even the most eloquent apologia for high-risk activities ring fatuous and hollow.”

This passage describes Billie McCandless as she looks through photographs after Chris’s death. Regardless of what his intentions were, he has deeply wounded his parents beyond repair. The passage also tempers Krakauer’s ambivalence toward McCandless, illustrating that no behavior, no matter what the intention, can be defended at the cost of such parental suffering.

“Seven weeks after the body of his son turned up in Alaska wrapped in a blue sleeping bag that Billie had sewn for Chris from a kit, Walt studies a sailboat scudding beneath the window of his waterfront townhouse. ‘How is it,’ he wonders aloud as he gazes blankly across Chesapeake Bay, ‘that a kid with so much compassion could cause his parents so much pain?’”

As Krakauer says, young people often mistake passion for insight, acting out of obscure logic. McCandless does this when he decides to climb the Devil’s Thumb, thinking it would somehow fix what was wrong with his life. This didn’t happen, of course. He was the sum of his experiences, and there’s no escaping that.This passage strikes at the heart of Chris McCandless’s story, as his father wonders how a seemingly compassionate young man could be so cruel to his family and friends. Rather than being altruistic, Chris’s risky behavior is exceedingly selfish, cutting himself off entirely from his family, who for two years didn’t even know if he was alive. There’s no question that this was Chris’s intention—that he somehow wanted to cut his parents from his life and punish them at the same time.

“What if I were smiling and running into your arms? Would you see then what I see now?”

As Krakauer says, young people often mistake passion for insight, acting out of obscure logic. McCandless does this when he decides to climb the Devil’s Thumb, thinking it would somehow fix what was wrong with his life. This didn’t happen, of course. He was the sum of his experiences, and there’s no escaping that.This passage strikes at the heart of Chris McCandless’s story, as his father wonders how a seemingly compassionate young man could be so cruel to his family and friends. Rather than being altruistic, Chris’s risky behavior is exceedingly selfish, cutting himself off entirely from his family, who for two years didn’t even know if he was alive. There’s no question that this was Chris’s intention—that he somehow wanted to cut his parents from his life and punish them at the same time.

“Seven weeks after the body of his son turned up in Alaska wrapped in a blue sleeping bag that Billie had sewn for Chris from a kit, Walt studies a sailboat scudding beneath the window of his waterfront townhouse. ‘How is it,’ he wonders aloud as he gazes blankly across Chesapeake Bay, ‘that a kid with so much compassion could cause his parents so much pain?’”

As Krakauer says, young people often mistake passion for insight, acting out of obscure logic. McCandless does this when he decides to climb the Devil’s Thumb, thinking it would somehow fix what was wrong with his life. This didn’t happen, of course. He was the sum of his experiences, and there’s no escaping that.This passage strikes at the heart of Chris McCandless’s story, as his father wonders how a seemingly compassionate young man could be so cruel to his family and friends. Rather than being altruistic, Chris’s risky behavior is exceedingly selfish, cutting himself off entirely from his family, who for two years didn’t even know if he was alive. There’s no question that this was Chris’s intention—that he somehow wanted to cut his parents from his life and punish them at the same time.

“What if I were smiling and running into your arms? Would you see then what I see now?”

One of the most provocative quotes in the book, this passage is at the same time poignant and sarcastic. What does Chris see—a young man confused and alone? A man longing for love? Or does he see a cold, isolated person who wants only to be rescued from his discomfort? If he were smiling and running into someone’s arms, one would assume he welcomes the embrace, but does he fear rejection? So many questions remain about this enigmatic young man, questions for which not even Krakauer in researching and writing this book has been able to find answers.

“Some people feel like they don’t deserve love. They walk away quietly into empty spaces, trying to close the gaps of the past.”

This passage may help explain McCandless’s difficulty with intimacy. Perhaps the “some people” he refers to is actually himself, quietly slipping out of people’s lives before he becomes ensnared in loving them too much. Feeling undeserving, he walks into the wilderness, never to be seen by them again. Some feel his wilderness trek was a suicide mission. Only McCandless knew for sure—or maybe he wasn’t consciously aware that it was.